Us Against the Worlds
by sapphirefox
Summary: Roxas finds himself in a difficult position when he is assigned a new task in the Organization. Finding himself conflicted between duty and personal interest, Roxas discovers a new depth to himself and new attraction. Axel x Roxas
1. Loose Ends

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything from from the Kingdom hearts series.

**Warning:** This fic is rated M for a reason. There will be some adult situations, which includes physically intimate scenes. If that offends you, then this probably isn't the fanfic for you.

Hey, I'm SapphireFox. I'm so glad you stopped by to read my fanfic. This is an Axel x Roxas fanfic, so if you aren't a fan of the pairing, then you might not want to read this. Although who knows, maybe you might like them after this fanfic.

I hope you all enjoy!

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An angry symphony of clashing steel echoed throughout the poorly lit cave on the outskirts of a small city; occasional grunts played the bass as two figures wildly flung their weapons at each other. One was a short blond male wielding a key as a weapon, while the other was an equally short brunette woman wielding a katana.

The two clashed when the woman spotted him on the outskirts of the village, entering the cave. An investigation into the eerie, cold cave that was decorated with spider webs and rocks initiated a sudden brawl that she hadn't expected. That was the art of combat. One minute she was enjoying a peaceful evening, and another she was clashing her blade with her opponent once more, holding each other in a dead lock.

"Why are you doing this?!" The woman grunted as their weapons trembled before them. She received no answer, only a cold stare. With that, the tom-boy of a woman let out a powerful grunt as she pushed forward with both her blade and her shoulder, sending her adversary staggering back before landing on his bottom. His keyblade had flung across the room.

"Who are you?!" She demanded, holding her blade out toward his face. His oceanic eyes met her chestnut ones before she received a reply.

"Shut up!" The blond barked as the keyblade vanished in a blue sparkle and reappeared in his hand. With one swift slash, he disarmed the female, and immediately followed through with a sweep of his leg toward hers, sending her flying into the air before landing with a hard thud. She winced and gazed up just in time to see the slender figure standing before her, holding the keyblade up to her face. Unfortunately, she didn't receive the same sympathy and restraint she had shown him.

"Why?" Was the last unanswered question she asked before she received a powerful kick toward the side of her head, knocking her unconscious. A faint smirk tugged at the blonde's lips as his weapon vanished and he lifted the fallen enemy with some difficulty. An ominous collection of shadows began to swirl around and slowly rise from the ground, creating a doorway behind the successful combatant. It wasn't long before a doorway was formed from the shadows and the two figures disappeared into it.

* * *

"I'm back" The victor hummed as he stepped out of a dark, shadowy portal with his target in his arms. He gazed around at the large, grand room: thirteen large towers stood proudly at the opposite end of the room, facing the entrance. Atop each tower sat a figure garnished in ebony trench coat, which was a welcoming sight from the blinding ivory that seemed to run throughout the entire castle.

"Excellent, Roxas" A calm voice hummed from a silver-haired male who sat atop the tallest tower. However, even despite his calm nature he spoke with an authority that few could match with growls.

"Mulan: the great heroine of the Land of Dragons. She'll make a powerful ally. Sa******ï**x, take her to the heartless pit. Once they've taken her heart, kill her heartless, then go find her nobody. It should appear on her home world. Find her and bring her here"

The leader received a nod from an aqua-haired that sat upon one of the highest towers. He pushed forward, leaping down from his chair and landing with a loud thud, flat on his feet. The golden-haired male couldn't help but wince at the sight: it must've been extremely rough on his knees. Sa******ï**x strode toward Roxas and collected the small Asian woman before he left without another word.

Immediately after Sa******ï**x left the room, another portal opened and a fiery-haired figure casually strode through. He received a few cold glares from some of the members, while others didn't really seem to care.

"Where's Belle?" The leader inquired as he leaned forward slightly.

"Couldn't get her. The beast stopped me" The fiery-haired male explained as he rubbed the back of his head, shooting the Organization members an awkward, pearly grin.

"Doesn't surprise me. You can't do anything right" A monotone voice escaped a pink-haired male as he rested an elbow on the arm of his tower and rested his chin in his palm. "You're so useless, Axel" He added before he crossed one leg over the other and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. However, even with his cocky attitude, he seemed as though he was posing. One could almost smell the arrogance seeping from him.

"Marluxia, that's enough" The silver-haired male commanded, before gazing over at a braided raven-haired male. While continuing his operations, he missed the subtle glare given to him from Marluxia. "Xaldin, take this mission"

"Of course, Xemnas" The male spoke before he leaned forward and tumbled off his tower, performing a flip before landing gracefully into a crouch. With that, he marched through the portal that Axel came from.

"Everyone else, leave us. I want to have a word with Axel alone" Xemnas spoke firmly, narrowing his eyes at the red-head. Everyone nodded without a word and left, each having varying opinions, interest, and levels of resentment toward the two.

However, Roxas was the only one that felt bad for Axel: he had to face all of that judgment and criticism. Roxas knew Axel deserved it to an extent: Axel had been slacking off and had been unsuccessful with his assignments. He had to do his job and pull his own weight to garner respect in the Organization, and he hadn't been doing that.

* * *

A couple days passed without any missions or assignments, which was odd for Roxas. Normally he'd have one day of down time at the most, but he wasn't complaining. This did give him time to train. However, he did wish Axel was there: it'd give him something else to do. With both Axel and Demyx out on missions, Roxas was left alone.

Luckily, his dry spell was broken. Xemnas stood in his doorway.

"Roxas" Xemnas greeted. "I have a mission for you. Come with me"

Roxas nodded as he rose from his ivory bed and followed Xemnas, walking with him down one of the many long, milky halls of the Castle That Never Was. Roxas despised the castle: it's odd, blocky architecture, pearly halls, and emptiness were nothing but a physical manifestation of what he felt inside. One thing Roxas didn't like was the constant reminder of his jaded nature.

"I need you to do an 'internal' mission" Xemnas informed him, drawing a confused look from the blond.

"Internal mission?"

"Yes. We have a loose end in our plan that needs to be tied up. If it isn't, it'll unravel our work at expanding our Organization's power. It's a threat to us. I need you to take care of it" Xemnas lead Roxas down another hallway to their right, leading him toward the dungeon. However, Roxas hadn't been paying attention to where they were going: he was just following Xemnas.

"Yeah, sure. What do you need me to do?"

"I'm glad you asked" Xemnas asked as they stopped outside of the dungeon doorway. Roxas paused for a second. It must've been Mulan. She must've defeated the heartless in the pit and tried to escape.

Xemnas pushed the door open, allowing darkness to creep into the bright, well-lit hallway. Roxas couldn't see what was inside, so he ventured in. He squinted to get a better look; however, what he found wasn't Mulan. The sight of a familiar fiery-haired figure chained to the wall, weary and fatigued, had caught him by surprise. Roxas eyes widened, before he gazed up at Xemnas.

"Axel is the loose end?"

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Well, this is the end of the first chapter, and there will be many more to come! I hope you all enjoyed the fanfic. If you did, leave me a review. It would make me so happy to hear about what my viewers think of the fanfic. Thanks for reading!


	2. New Beginnings

**Disclaimer:** Nope, Kingdom Hearts isn't mine.

**Author's Note:** Welcome to chapter 2 everyone! This was definitely an interesting chapter to write. Anyways, there's no smutty scenes yet. Just character and plot development. But don't worry, some will come soon!

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"Axel is the loose end?" Roxas asked, shocked and confused.

"Why is Axel the loose end? He's an Organization member" Roxas asked in a calm, uncertain tone as his oceanic gaze fell to the ground beside him. "What could he have done to be chained up like this?"

"He's also been conspiring against us. Vexen was killed yesterday by Axel, and he went after Marluxia and Namine afterwards. Had he not been stopped, we would've lost them both as well" Xemnas hummed calmly as his crimson gaze trailed along the figure before him. The fiery-haired betrayer was a pathetic sight; however, that wasn't enough. It was never enough. "I want you to kill him" Xemnas ordered before he turned on his heels and exited the room.

The room fell silent as the two gazed at each other. Roxas' chest grew tingly and tight, while his stomach churned. The stress from his new task wasn't something he wanted.

"Axel. . ."

"Sorry Rox. . ."

"Why'd you do it?" Roxas asked with his gaze rose from the ground a little. Roxas couldn't bring himself to look at Axel. Axel wasn't just some other target who he had to take down: Axel was his best friend, and the only Organization member Roxas could truly trust.

A silence fell upon the room once again; a silence that slowly ate away at the thirteenth member, and burned his patience from both ends. Roxas finally gazed up at Axel as he asked, "Why?"

Axel exhaled softly before his emerald gaze locked with Roxas' sapphyric one. "I did it to save you"

"Save me?" Roxas asked as he furrowed his brow. "How did you save me? You killed an Organization member and Xemnas is making me kill you. How is this saving me?"

"Marluxia and the others were planning on getting rid of you. I had to save you" A deep tingling was tearing at Roxas' chest as he forced a soft frown onto his face.

"You didn't think I could take care of myself?" Roxas asked stiffly as the tension in his chest began to grow and his stomach twisted in knots. "I can handle myself Axel" Roxas growled as he marched up to his friend, his teeth grit angrily. "I don't need you to take care of me, I can take care of myself! I'm not some helpless little puppy who can't fight! I'm a member of Organization XIII, and I'm a better fighter than most of the other members" Roxas glared furiously at his friend, with fists balled dangerously. Shock, confusion, and guilt burned its way onto Axel's face as a prominent frown began to hang on Roxas lips.

"And now I have to kill you because your underestimated me!" Roxas barked as he crashed his fist into Axel's firm chest. It wasn't a hard blow, but it was more than hard enough to relieve the tension that rapidly filled Roxas' body. With heavy breaths, Roxas pounded at Axel's chest a couple more times as his eyes glazed over. However, Roxas was stopped in his tracks when Axel craned his neck and rested his chin on Roxas' shoulder.

"I'm sorry Rox. I didn't mean to hurt ya. . ." Axel spoke softly, drawing quicker breaths from his assaulter. Roxas paused for a moment and fought back another frown that was dragging down his lips once again, before he slowly backed up. His keyblade appeared in his hand in an azure glow as the moisture that collected in Roxas' eyes rolled down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry too Axel. . ." Roxas spoke in a grave tone before he ferociously swung his blade.

A clash echoed throughout the dungeon as one of Axel's bounds was severed. Seconds later, the second bound was broken, and Roxas caught the male as he collapsed onto him, struggling with Axel's greater weight. "I'm getting you out of here"

Axel wrapped an arm around Roxas' shoulder as he stood, using Roxas as a crutch. Axel paused as he began to wonder where they could go. With the Organization's hand in most worlds, their options were limited.

"Let's go" Axel suggested as a collection of swirling shadows appeared before them, creating a doorway. The two traveled through it with a bit of a hurry. They had to leave before any of the other members discovered their escape.

As the two stepped out of the dark doorway, they arrived on a warm beach. The sands were illuminated by the setting sun, causing them to become a vibrant gold. The normally clear blue waters had become darker as the light began to leave the island. The beach held a majestic beauty to it, and with calming breezes that gently caressed their cheeks, the duo couldn't help but feel like they were in paradise. Roxas gazed around in awe, before he looked up at Axel. "Destiny Islands? Why are we here?"

"Because the Organization will probably come to this world last. It's the keybladers' home world. Since the keybladers are probably on other worlds, we'll be safe from them, too. We'll just need to lay low for a while until we need to move to another world" Axel explained as the two walked along the beach. Axel struggled to tread along the sands as they shifted beneath him.

Roxas felt a deep anxiety build up beneath his collarbone as they passed by a small island that extended from the beach. He'd put himself in a dangerous position: not only did he have to be weary of the Organization, but he also had to avoid about the keybladers and Heartless as well. By going against the Organization, he not only alienated himself and Axel, but created them into prime targets for each single faction in the universe.

Now wasn't the time to worry, and Roxas new that. They needed a place to stay. And when a small, ratty hut that appeared to be abandoned came into view, Roxas lead Axel toward it. It wouldn't be a permanent situation, but it'd give them a place to rest for the night, as well as give Axel time to recover his strength.

The hut was definitely abandoned. A damp, musty scent forced a sneer of disgust onto Roxas' face. The light film of dust that was abundant within the empty hut and many cobwebs that hung in every corner only seemed to complete the look of the hut. Roxas sighed as they both sat down against the far wall, exhausted. "Great, now what're we gonna do?" Roxas asked as he rested his head on Axel's shoulder and yawned.

"We gotta run" Axel hummed as he rested his head against Roxas' crown with eyes half-lidded. "Thanks Rox. . ."

"It's fine" Although Roxas was now unsure of their future, only sure of the instability and danger that lied ahead, he would've done it ten times over. Roxas would've given anything for Axel, even his life. He would've done it because there was something about Axel that was comforting. Sitting with Axel had already helped to relieve some of the tension that built up in his chest.

"Do you think we'll be alright?" Roxas asked before his eyes slid shut.

"Yeah" Axel hummed, which wiped the rest of Roxas' tension away. The two quickly fell into a deep slumber, using each other as a pillow.

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You've now reached the end of chapter 2! I hope you've enjoyed it! Leave a review and let me know what you think.

See you in the next chapter!


	3. Blending In and Standing Out

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

**Note:** Thanks so much for reading thus far guys! This is longer than the others, but it was necessary.

Now, enjoy!

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As morning graced the Destiny Islands, the calm roar of rolling waves and the cheerful morning song of gulls had awoken the pair. Roxas had awoken first, bringing Axel along with him as he moved his head from Axel's shoulder. A deep, mighty yawn escaped the Axel as Roxas looked around curiously, before he looked up at Axel. It wasn't a dream.

Roxas slowly picked himself up, and then grabbed Axel's hand as it was offered to him.

"So we're here. What's the plan?" Roxas asked as he helped pull Axel up. Axel had the ability to rise on his own; however, he chose not to. Since he was deprived of food for a couple days, the fiery-haired male was still a bit lethargic.

"Eat, get new clothes, and try to blend in. Nothin' else we can do, Rox" Axel hummed as he slid his hands into his trench-coat pockets; they were empty. Xemnas had cleaned him out before chaining him up. "You got any munny?"

Roxas paused for a moment before he pulled out a few large multi-colored orbs.

"Looks like I only got eight-thousand munny. Won't get us very much. . ." Roxas thought hesitantly; however, Axel quickly grabbed the munny from Roxas with a wide grin.

"Don't worry about it, it's plenty. We'll get some food, get some clothing, and just stay in here" Axel assured him. Roxas paused for a moment, before smiling softly and nodding his head. Roxas trusted Axel, and if Axel said he could make it work, he could. There was no debating that.

Roxas followed Axel out of the old, unkempt hut. The bright morning sun was almost blinding to Roxas' oceanic eyes; although, it did provide a gorgeous view when it reflected off the clear blue waters that surrounded the island. As they tread along the beach, Roxas was surprised by Axel's unhindered casual stride as beach-goers fled past them, laughing and grinning cheerfully. What if someone knew of their origin? What if one was a keyblader? He didn't want to get into any fights. Roxas felt alarmed, and gazed back at the troupe of friends, before continuing forward. It had been so long since Roxas had been in a casual situation that it he was alarmed. He didn't know what to do.

It wasn't long before the pair trailed on a long sidewalk that lead toward the town.

* * *

Upon reaching the town, Axel rushed toward the nearest possible food vendor: a pretzel vendor. He returned a couple minutes later with five pretzels in his hands, and handed two of them to Roxas.

"Here ya go" Axel spoke as he held the other three large pretzels in one hand. He tore open a packet of mustard with his teeth, and then spread the yellow cream onto one of the pretzels.

"Pretzels?" Roxas asked as he watched Axel take an animalistic bite from it. He clearly bit off more than he normally would. Despite the fact that Axel had a little bit of difficulty with chewing the bread, he managed to swallow it faster than usual as well.

"They're right here, cheap, and I'm hungry" Axel grinned simply before continuing to savagely scarf down the pretzel. Roxas shook his head with a soft smirk on his face. Unlike Axel, Roxas wanted to take his time with his pretzel. He drifted off into a haze of stress and confusion as he nibbled away at it.

Roxas couldn't help but feel the uneasy wave of tension flow throughout his chest and down his stomach once more. This time he wasn't concerned about the Organization. He was concerned about being in the Keybladers' domain. The situation screamed danger for the two of them louder than the world could scream serenity.

Luckily, Roxas was pulled out of his negative thoughts after he finished his first pretzel. As he felt pressure on his second pretzel, Roxas gazed down to see Axel's nimble fingers breaking off a large chunk of his pretzel. Roxas chuckled and shot another smirk at Axel.

"You finished those quickly"

Axel merely grinned as he popped the bread into his mouth. Axel rose and beckoned Roxas to follow him with a finger, before resuming their stroll down the street, viewing the various shops. They passed by several stores. There were hat stores, shoe stores, pottery stores, furniture stores, and sport stores. However, none of them were what they were looking for. That was, until they stumbled upon a one final store.

"Destiny's Beach?" Roxas asked, puzzled.

"Beach clothing. Everyone here goes to the beach. You can't beat that" Axel insisted with a wicked grin as he pulled Roxas into the store. Axel wasn't very picky about what they were looking for: he wasn't self-conscious. He quickly plucked a pair of blue shorts and a white t-shirt from the clothing racks, and then held them up to Roxas to see if they fit. He grabbed a pair of red shorts for himself and a tan tank-top.

"Let's go" Axel suggested as he walked up to the cash register, and handed him the clothing. The pair was unaware of trying on clothing: they'd never been in a clothing store before. But they seemed like they fit, and that was enough for them. When the clothing was priced at four-thousand munny, Axel handed him the munny, then took the clothing.

As the two left the store, Roxas couldn't help but ask. "How much munny do we have left?"

"One-thousand. The pretzels were three-thousand. They were six-hundred each" The thought didn't inspire much hope in Roxas. Worst-case scenario they could always rob someone on a different world, but Roxas would've preferred to avoid that. Instead, they could always try to get jobs. The two headed back to the hut to change.

* * *

As the two entered the hut, then began to unzip their trench coats, allowing them to fall to the ground carelessly. Roxas continued to slip on the shorts, remaining within the confines of his mind as he contemplated a life on Destiny Islands. A life of hiding. Roxas grew so consumed that he didn't catch the occasional glance Axel was shooting him as he changed. When he finished, he sighed as he turned to Axel with a grin.

"They fit Ax. How about yours?" Roxas hummed as he gazed down at his own clothing. They all fit perfectly. They were fitted, yet gave him room to breathe. Axel didn't have the same case.

Axel's pants fit well; however, his shirt was a little tight. Luckily, it did him favors. The shirt was snug along his body, hinting at the definition on his back, abs, and chest. With his arms plain in sight, well-defined triceps and biceps were a magnet for the eye, which immediately pulled Roxas's oceanic ogle. Roxas gazed from his arms, to his chest, and finally up to Axel's face.

"Alright, now we blend in" Axel spoke as he reached over and adjusted a few stray locks of Roxas' hair that were frazzled when Roxas put on his shirt. Axel warmly smiled as he opened the door. "Let's go. Just because we're hiding doesn't mean we have stay inside this shit-hole all day" The duo shared a hearty laugh before they left and sauntered along the familiar sands.

Unfortunately, things weren't going as slowly as they'd hoped. As they strolled down the beach, an ebony hooded figure could be seen up ahead. The two paused suddenly with grave looks on their faces. The black hood fell and golden locks were revealed: it was Demyx. Demyx pulled a white paper out of his pocket and began to read it, and with that, the two rushed toward the waterfall area. There was a large boulder that would've provided a good-enough spot to stay out of sight until they found a more suitable place to hide.

Heaving heavy breaths as they stopped behind the fall, Roxas gripped onto Axels hand tightly, trembling a little. The anxiety once again welled inside of him, which made it impossible for him to slow his breathing down. Each breath felt like a hot flame as Roxas slowly stepped back, pulling Axel with him. Roxas was trying to find comfort.

"Shh. It's okay Rox, we'll be fine" Axel spoke as he turned around and placed a hand on his shoulder, gazing sympathetically into Roxas' eyes. Roxas couldn't talk, so he simply nodded as he began to slowly take control of his breath. However, while facing Roxas, a faint trace of a dark opening came into view.

"C'mon Rox" Axel spoke as he pulled Roxas by the hand. Hidden behind the vines and leaves that draped over the stone crevice was a cavern, which Axel planned to take full advantage of. "In here" Axel insisted as he stepped in first, holding some of the foliage aside so Roxas could enter. As the two entered the poorly-lit cavern, a sudden illumination added comfort to Roxas as Axel's hand lit aflame. The two ventured further in until they ended in a circular chamber. An old door decorated with cobwebs and vines was at the end. The two didn't want to explore any deeper, they didn't need to. They just needed to take cover until Demyx left.

Roxas walked over to a wall and sat down with Axel. He sighed deeply as he gazed around at the empty room.

"My chest is really tense. . ." Roxas sighed as he gazed up at Axel. White markings on the wall caught his eyes, and he gazed behind them. The heads of a spiky-haired boy and a short-haired girl were carved onto it. Clearly, someone else spent a lot of time within the cavern as well. Or used to, anyways.

"We'll be okay Roxas. Just relax" Axel sighed as he rested a hand on Roxas' thigh.

"But if Demyx finds us, we'll need to run. We can take Demyx out, but if he gets away we're fucked. The whole Organization will be af-"

"Then we'll run" Axel quickly cut Roxas off. Axel held great confidence and decisiveness in his voice; it was unlike Axel. The naturally calm male was usually go-with-the-flow, and to see him take charge was different. It was comforting and reassuring.

"But we've got so much against us now. . ." Roxas hummed grimly as his eyes fell to Axel's chest. This gaze wasn't filled with interest like the last one. This one held worry. It was those moments that convinced Axel that they had hearts. They were just jaded.

"Rox. . ." Axel sighed as he leaned his forehead down against Roxas' with shut eyes.

"Don't worry Rox, I'll protect ya. I promise" Roxas exhaled deeply as Axel made his promise. Roxas didn't know what was going on, why he was suddenly feeling heavy internal burdens. He'd felt anxiety, stress, frustration. Now, the only thing Roxas could label his thoughts as were worry and fear. They sounded like worry and fear. He didn't understand: Organization members were nobodies. They had no hearts, they couldn't feel anything.

Roxas had always been so disconnected for as long as his memory allowed. Because of his disconnection, nothing ever really fazed him. He'd slain warriors of the light, helped to take over worlds, and supported the Organization despite its dark path at securing an identity. Why did he suddenly feel so vulnerable and scared?

However, his worries alleviated slightly as he began to reminisce of the past. He remembered how Axel used to have humorous little chats with him after he failed missions to ensure that he was okay. He remembered when Axel took the blame for him after they lost the Nobody forces in Hallow Bastion. Finally, Axel killed another Organization member to save Roxas. Axel was always there for Roxas, protecting him. It created both a warmth and discomfort within his chest as he gazed up at Axel.

"Thank you" Roxas sighed as he smiled softly. As Axel returned that grin, Roxas felt the last of his stress melt away. He felt an unusual comfort, one that he had yet to feel. "Thanks for everything Ax. You're always protecting me"

"Of course I am. I would never let anything happen to you. You're the only one I ever really liked in the Organization, Rox. . ." Axel paused for a brief moment. "You're the only one who's ever really made me feel like I have a heart"

Roxas felt as though an icicle was melted within his chest as his brow furrowed and his mouth grew ajar. Roxas tried to say something, but words wouldn't come. Instead, he showed what he couldn't say. Roxas tilted his head upward and and pressed his lips against Axel's. The flame in Axel's hand went out, and Roxas felt Axel's arms wrap around his waist.

The two pulled away after a good moment, staring into each other's eyes. Roxas wrapped his arms around Axel's neck as they returned for more kisses. It wasn't long before their gentle kisses grew more aggressive and lustful. The desire reflected from their bodies as they gradually formed bulges within their pants. With their libidos challenging each one to move further, move quicker, things didn't remain at strictly kissing for long.

Roxas was the first to help himself to the physical manifestation of their growing desire. A sudden gasp escaped Axel as Roxas's hand traveled down his shoulder and gripped at the hard flesh from his pants.

Roxas felt a hand glide around his waist and down his hips, before smoothly trailing along his bulge, gripping it. Roxas returned the gesture with a deep shiver of pleasure as he pushed forward, lying on top of Axel. He kissed Axel's lips one last time before he lead a trail of kisses down his neck and his torso. He lifted Axel's shirt to meet his lips at his naval. Roxas playfully kissed his waist and smiled up at Axel, whom was comfortably situated with his hands behind his head. Roxas quickly unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, and then tugged them down to his knees.

Roxas was nestled between Axel's legs as he trailed his fingers along his prize for a moment. Roxas's entire body was burning with a comforting heat that he'd never experienced before. He wasn't sure if it was an internal heat, a heat from the flame-wielding male's body, or both. However, he loved it, and he wanted more. He wrapped his hand around Axel's hot, erect member and began to pump his hand up and down the column of flesh. A symphony of moans and pants escaped his friend, which made Roxas pant with lust. Although he couldn't see Axel very well, Roxas was able to make out Axel's expressions. Axel's mouth was opened ajar, and his eyes were half-lidded. It was a gorgeous sight. It was a sight that made the created a soothing pins-and-needles sensation within his chest.

"Roxas. . ." Axel moaned as his hand rubbed up and down Roxas' thigh. "Mmm. . ." Axel purred, very pleased as he tugged at Roxas's button, then pull down his pants with ease. Axel's skilled hand began to return the favor to Roxas's member, drawing out soft moans from the spiky-haired blond.

With the mating calls the two were making and the steady rate at which they stroked, it was only a few minutes before they both reached their limits.

"Ah, fuck" Axel moaned as he pulsated in Roxas's hand, thrusting upward once and letting out a pleased groan. Roxas could feel Axel's warm, thick release trail onto his fingers after a few moments later. Only a bit had wound up on his hand. Roxas assumed the rest was shot onto Axel's shirt and stomach. With the gorgeous sight of Axel trembling from the sudden sweep of pleasure, Roxas felt a mind-piercing pleasure radiate throughout his body from his groin.

"A-Ah" Roxas moaned as he released the fruit of his pleasure onto Axel's strong hand and hips. Roxas panted heavily as he lingered for a moment, before he crawled onto Axel and buried his face into his chest. Roxas felt as though spring was dawning upon the winter of his chest. He felt an odd sensation: one that he could only describe as happiness. He didn't want anything else, the moment was perfect as it was.

However, Roxas chuckled inwardly as he came to a realization. He was right about where Axel's release had wound up. He felt moisture on his face and through his shirt. However, he didn't care. He was happy, even with the warm, sticky fluid on his cheek. He smiled warmly as he hugged Axel, and felt his embrace returned. Axel struggled to lean his head down to gently kiss the top of Roxas's head, before he collapsed back with a wide grin on his face.

Although they were both vulnerable, since they had their pants down to their knees and were drained of any energy they once had, Roxas had never felt so safe. Even when he had the strength of the Organization behind him, Roxas never felt that sense of security. Being in Axel's arms made him feel protected. He felt like he belonged within Axel's embrace.

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Thank you all for reading chapter 3! I hope you all enjoyed it! Finally added a lemon scene for those of you who've been waiting for it.

Leave me some reviews and let me know what you think of the story thus far.


	4. Old Friends, New Foes

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts isn't mine. Too bad for meee.

* * *

Hours melted into minutes within Axel's warm arms. A comfortable silence remained constant between the two. It was all that was needed: their embrace screamed louder than words ever could. With the natural heat that radiated from Axel's body, and the newfound heat within his chest, Roxas had no complaints. However, if Roxas learned anything during his short life, it was that all good things had to come to an end.

"I bet Demyx is gone. Let's head back to the cabin" Axel hummed softly. Roxas let out a soft sigh before he nodded against Axel's warm chest, and then rose. He pulled up his shorts before he helped Axel up. Axel pulled up his own shorts before his hand lit ablaze and the two walked toward the entrance of the cave.

Night had fallen upon the destiny islands, which not only provided a veil of cover, but a unique serenity to the island. The island held a mellow lull that Roxas never expected to find after experiencing the warm day.

As they tread along the soft sands, Roxas gazed over at Axel. Between the moonlight and the flame in his hand, Axel owned a gorgeous silhouette. Roxas smiled softly at him as he gazed forward. He wasn't sure what they were anymore. He questioned if they were friends, or something more. Roxas often saw people in other worlds gaze at each other like they meant the world to one another. Roxas risked his life to free Axel and flee with him. Axel meant more to him than all of the worlds and the Organization itself, so maybe they were something more. If not, they must've been making steps toward it.

Roxas gazed down at Axel's free hand. Those same people often hugged, kissed, and held hands. Roxas couldn't help but find curiosity in the act. Why did people do it? Roxas slid his hand into Axel's and laced his fingers with Axel's. He could see why. He didn't know exactly what the gesture meant, whether it was a sign of friendship or more, but he did know one thing. It felt comfortable to feel Axel's hand comforting grasp. It felt. . . right.

* * *

As they arrived at the cabin, they found something they didn't expect. Standing in the center of the room, holding their trench coats and observing them, was Demyx. Roxas felt the warmth in his chest sink into his stomach. They should've thought about their trench coats before they left. Demyx had been waiting for them.

The golden-haired male looked at the two before he dropped the trench coats and allowed his hands to fall to his sides. "There you guys are. Xemnas is sending everyone out to find you guys" Demyx casually hummed as he pulled a white piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. "He orders are 'Bring Roxas and Axel back, dead or alive.' Now you guys know I don't wanna fight, so please just come and make this easy for me" Demyx asked as he folded the paper back up and slid it back into his pocket.

Axel released Roxas' hand and held his hands out. A crimson flash appeared in his hands before two bladed wheels appeared. Trails of flames traveled along the steel of Axel's chakrams before dissipating.

"No way. Leave now, Demyx. We're not comin' back" Axel growled defensively as he stepped before Roxas slightly. Roxas couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation in his chest. Axel was the only person who ever tried to protect him. Everyone else let Roxas fend for himself. Roxas had gone so long fighting his own battles, that it was odd to have someone else step in to join him.

"Axel-" Roxas began to talk, before Demyx's voice cut him off.

"I was afraid of that" Demyx sighed as a sapphire glitter appeared before him, and then his oceanic sitar appeared in his hands. "Saix!"

A grunt quickly drew Roxas' sight as a large, dark figure emerged from the side of the cabin to their right. A large, oddly-shaped sword-like weapon was clutched dangerously in his powerful hand.

"See ya, traitors!"Demyx shouted as he strummed his sitar. A ball of water appeared before the slender blond before a stream erupted from it, aimed straight at the duo. Roxas jumped to the left while Axel leaped onto the roof. However, with the Organization such an evasion wasn't so simple. Saix charged through the stream of water with his claymore clutched menacingly. As Saix swung the heavy blade, two outlines of weapons appeared in Roxas' hands before a light and dark keyblade appeared in each hand. Roxas tried to bring his Twilight and Oblivion keyblades up to parry the attack; however, he didn't have the time or strength needed for such a defense. The blade slammed into Roxas' side and sent him flying fifteen feet away from the front door of the cabin, tumbling along the sand.

Roxas wasn't disarmed; however, he was winded. He gasped for air before he coughed violently. Roxas had struggled to keep himself on all fours. Unfortunately, his incapacitation didn't hinder his opponent or draw any form of mercy. Saix rushed toward Roxas once again, and Roxas felt his whole being sink as he watched in horror as Saix's onslaught continued.

Fortunately, a fiery chakram crashed into Saix's back and drew a large grunt of pain from the azure-haired male as he fell to one knee. Roxas managed to gather the time to recover as Saix did, and stood before him. Roxas wasn't about to allow himself to be put into the same situation again.

"You okay Rox?" Roxas heard as he noticed Axel land onto the sands between the hut and Saix.

"Y-Yeah. . ." Roxas stuttered between a cough as Demyx emerged from the cabin. With a strum of his sitar, several watery clones of Demyx began to appear. Immediately, Roxas charged toward Saix, and once he was close enough, he leaped over the powerful man. Roxas commenced an onslaught of his own as he wildly flailed his keyblades at the water-born clones. Roxas knew they only had a short amount of time before a massive wave would've consumed them. After grabbing a clone and swinging it around before flinging it at Saix, Roxas watched as Axel held his chakrams out to the side and growled dangerously. Fire's trailed along his arms and burned proudly on his chakrams before a wall of flames surrounded the four. The wall would limit Demyx's clones.

The pair fought hard against the clones and avoided Saix's charges and Demyx's pillars of water. Although it was overwhelming, the two were successful. Well, successful until Axel was launched up into the air by one of Demyx's geysers of water that erupted from the ground.

"Axel!" Roxas gasped as he watched his friend being flung up into the air. Roxas felt a searing discomfort squeeze at his chest: he knew that was a hard hit. Axel was vulnerable to ice magic, and Demyx was vulnerable to fire magic. Any attacks they landed on each other would've been painful.

In his distraction, Roxas felt another hard claymore strike send him skidding across the fiery arena. Roxas struggled to breathe, and felt a great weakness begin to claim his body. Air was difficult to claim and his vision became blurred and tunneled. Roxas was so preoccupied with his injuries, that he barely realized that he was right next to the wall of fire. With the clones building up and Saix preparing one last charge to finish Roxas, things weren't looking too great.

"Roxas, jump!" Axel called as he landed on the ground, and then leaped back into the flames that surrounded everyone. Roxas struggled to shift into a crouch, and then leaped high up into the air just before the ground turned into molten rock. All of the clones dissipated and Demyx let out a wince as he jumped up.

"I knew they sent the wrong guy for the job. I can't fight Axel" Demyx whined before he let out a gasp as he caught sight of a fiery figure rushing toward him. The figure slammed into him, and sent him flying against the outer wall of the cabin before it disappeared into the flames once again.

Unlike Demyx, Saix didn't flinch from the hazardous ground. Saix rushed toward Roxas like an angry rhino, and Roxas had just barely time to land and jump once again toward the center of the arena to avoid the strike.

As Roxas landed, he let out a sharp gasp as he was scooped up by a powerful force, and sent him toward the wall of flames. Roxas brought his keyblades up to his face to guard himself from the flames; however, he wasn't harmed. No burns, no pain, no damage to his clothing. When he looked back, he found himself in Axel's arms. Roxas felt himself rise in confidence as his keyblades disappeared, as did Axel's chakrams.

"The fire will go down in a bit. Let's go Rox!" Axel informed him as a portal appeared before them. Roxas nodded as he laced his fingers with Axel and rushed through the portal. It closed behind them and the flames disappeared.

* * *

The two stepped into a lush, green meadow as they emerged from the portal. The two heaved heavy breaths as they stopped, and Axel looked at Roxas with concerned eyes. "You okay, Rox?" He asked as he caught his breath.

"Y-Yeah. . ." Roxas panted between heavy breaths as he nodded faintly with a soft grin. However, he was unable to shake off the weariness that collected in his body. His sides were radiating with pain, and he was struggling to breathe. It only took another moment before his body finally succumbed to his weakness, and he collapsed with weary eyes. Axel barely had the time to catch Roxas and gently lower their bodies to the ground.

"Roxas. . . Roxas?!" Axel asked with great concern as he shook Roxas' limp body lightly. To Axel's dismay, he didn't get a reply. Roxas was out cold.

* * *

Thanks for reading the chapter guys, and I hope you enjoyed it. Leave some reviews and let me know what you think so far.


	5. Emotional Landscapes

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts isn't mine.

**Author's Note:** Welcome to chapter 5. I was planning on updating this yesterday, but I changed so many things around, that I was up until 1 in the morning and didn't have time to do my final revision until this morning.

Sorry if the chapter is a little slow, it's mostly for character and plot development, and setting up for fun stuff in the future.

**Side Note:** The song "Joga" by "Bjork" has been very inspirational for me lately, and has helped inspire a couple scenes for this chapter and part of next the next chapter. Also, the title is a snippet of the lyrics of the song.

I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Roxas awoke in the early hours of the morning, and found himself with his head atop a sleeping Axel's lap. Dark trees with a canopy veiled the moonlight, which left little light for him to use. However, Roxas did see a clearing of sorts not far away. Axel was sleeping with his back against a tree, sitting up. Roxas was shirtless; however, he had a string of fabric wrapped around his tender torso. He noticed his shirt was folded beside them, but Axel's was nowhere to be found. Roxas knew what Axel had used to dress his wounds.

"Axel" Roxas asked in a hoarse voice as he lazily flung his hand onto Axel's knee and shook it lightly. Axel inhaled quickly as he eyes immediately cracked open and he gazed down at Roxas. Axel smiled tiredly at the male before he spoke.

"How're ya feelin', Rox?" Axel yawned in a rough voice.

"Sore" Roxas winced as he allowed his other hand to drape over his core. "What happened?"

"Saix got ya hard in the Destiny Islands, so you passed out after we got here. You were bleeding a little and really bruised. I cast a cure spell on you which kinda lessened the bleeding, but it didn't stop. So I ripped up my shirt and used it to cover your cuts" Axel explained as he clumsily rubbed his right eye.

Roxas let out a little hum of acknowledgment as he gazed up at the dark sky between the cracks of a few leaves for a moment as he thought. "Where are we now?"

"Land of the Dragons"

"Good. Their hero isn't here, so we won't have as much to worry about" Roxas immediately stated as he slowly sat up and let out a sharp gasp. He felt as if a sharp needle jolted from his side to his naval, so he wrapped an arm around his torso and gripped his side in pain. His pain had not only awoken him completely, but Axel as well.

Axel sat forward with his brow furrowed as he gently placed his hand on Roxas's back. "You okay Rox?"

Roxas felt a tingly and sort of fluttering sensation rise and fall in the pit of his stomach as stared at him with softened eyes, and then smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah"

Axel grabbed Roxas' shirt and slipped it over Roxas' head, before he rose to his feet and cupped his hands underneath Roxas' underarms to lift him. "Let's go, Rox. There's an army camp nearby and I don't want them to think we're enemies or something and try and attack us. You can't fight right now" Axel suggested, and Roxas nodded in approval as he slid his arms through the sleeves of his shirt with some difficulty. The two then began to trail along the edge of the forest and meadow.

The world's landscape was a proud one. Verdant, rolling hills that lead up to a cascading river provided a picture-perfect canvas that Roxas could only describe was a work of art. The world couldn't have been more idyllic even if it was created by a living being. With their path lit by the moon's grace, Roxas felt a bit more at peace.

Roxas wasn't sure why scenery had been putting him into a state of peace lately. However, it provided him with a serenity that was keeping him sane in their turmoil.

Lavender began to blend into the deep violet sky as dawn was approaching. Axel and Roxas had made their way toward the mountain that was once in the distance. They made their ascent, which provided more for Roxas to remain calm. The various crags each held a sense of power and pride; however, each was also stained with the mark of war. The crimson stains on the walls vaguely told a dark story.

The mountain was a reflection of human nature. Although there was the dark, tarnished side, they did reach the purity as they tread across the cold snow that decorated the upper half of the mountain. Roxas grew a little cold and began to shiver faintly. The cold weather was difficult for Roxas to cope with, as was the long walk. Roxas was beginning to feel his body wear out. Between the exercise, the cold, and the tenderness in his torso, Roxas didn't know how much longer he could last; luckily, Axel wrapped an arm around him and kept him warm with the eternal heat that resonated from his body.

"Axel?" Roxas asked as they continued along the snowy trail. Roxas let out a soft cough, but the two brushed it off as nothing.

"Yeah Rox?"

"Are we together now?" Roxas asked in a confused manner as oceanic eyes found their way up to emerald eyes.

"I dunno, I guess. That's what most people do when they kiss someone, right?" Axel questioned with a lopsided grin as he scratched the side of his head.

"I guess" Roxas thought aloud. Roxas didn't know of the rules of a relationship. Were there certain things they could and couldn't do? Were there boundaries that needed to be changed? Were there certain things they had to do now that they were in a relationship? The concept was overwhelming, but Roxas was sure that they could learn more from watching others. He merely rested his head atop Axel's shoulder and wrapped an arm around his back as they walked.

There was a silence as the two pondered, and each one gazed off absent-mindedly as they questioned what was supposed to happen. However, the silence was broken as a small hut came into view. Roxas grinned as he pointed at it. "Look Ax, a hut. It looks deserted. It's too cold, let's go in"

Axel hummed in approval as he hurried with Roxas toward the house. Axel didn't have a problem with the mountain. His body was a furnace. However, he wanted Roxas to be okay. In his weakened state, Roxas wasn't as resilient as he normally would've been.

Axel slowly opened the door as they arrived at the hut; unfortunately, it wasn't unoccupied. Roxas felt the warmth and tingling within his stomach become weighed down a little from disappointment. Within the poorly-lit and faintly-decorated hut were an old man and an old woman. The old couple sat on the floor on opposite ends of a small table that was stood no more than a few inches from the ground. The two had been sipping on drinks, until they were interrupted. The man seemed rather frail and was completely bald, while the woman held more meat on her figure and had a gray bun sitting lazily on her tired locks. Axel's sudden entrance had obviously garnered their attention, and Axel let out a nervous chuckle.

"Sorry, we thought this place was empty. We were cold. We'll get go-"

Axel's apologetic voice was caught off by an excitable chirp of the old woman. "Oh, visitors! Come in, come in!" She urged as she rose to her feet and rushed to the door. She held it open as she gestured for them to enter.

"No, really, it's fine. We'll g-"

Roxas was also cut off by the woman as she placed a hand behind Roxas' back and nudged him in. "No, I insist! It's cold, you look tired, and you must be hungry!"

The pair let out a defeated sigh as Axel followed Roxas in, and the door was shut behind them. Roxas appreciated the warmth that the house provided.

"Look Tao, visitors! We never get visitors!" The woman grinned warmly as she walked over toward a small chest that sat in the back and opened it. Tao merely let out a tired hum as he nodded, then took a sip from his tea.

"Would you two like some nice hot tea?" The woman offered as she pulled out two delicate cups that were familiar to Axel. Beast had several of them in his castle.

"Yeah, sure!" Axel agreed, followed by Roxas.

"Please" Roxas was very welcoming of the drink. The idea of warm liquid warming his body sounded like a godsend.

"I'm Lea, and this is my husband Tao. What're your names?" Lea hummed pleasantly as she sat down opposite her husband and placed the cups on the wooden table and began to fill each a cup. Roxas and Axel paused as they looked at each other, before they walked over and sat down on their haunches beside each other at the side of the table.

"I'm Axel, and this is Roxas" Axel greeted the woman with his pearly grin as they each grabbed their cups and took a sip.

"Tell me, where did you two come from?" Lea asked as she took a sip from her two. Roxas couldn't help but exchange a glance with Axel, before he allowed Axel to speak.

"From a little village to the north. You probably haven't heard of it though" Axel hummed before he took a sip from his team. Roxas smiled softly before he took one as well. Axel was much better at lying, and was always so good at doing all of the talking for the both of them. Roxas loved that about him, since he wasn't much of a talker. Roxas spoke to Axel more than anyone else.

"We're from the south. We moved here about twelve years ago. Tao retired from the army and we decided to settle in the mountains. Tao always wanted to move here" Lea introduced her past with a soft smile on her face.

"Seems kinda lonely though. You don't want to live by other people?" Axel asked which perked Roxas's interest a little. Axel brought up a valid point.

"Nah. Sure, I like to talk to lots of different people. As you can tell, I'm a lot chattier than Tao" Lea chuckled heartily and shook her head with a wide grin on her face. "But I'm happy here. All I need is Tao"

A wide smile lifted Roxas's lips as Lea explained her joy. Roxas felt a gentle heat radiate from his chest once again. Axel was so chatty, while Roxas was more reserved and quiet. Although they were so different, Roxas cared about Axel greatly and only wanted to be with him, just as Lea and Tao were. Maybe that was how they would end up being. Or maybe that's how they were supposed to be. Roxas wondered if maybe Lea and Tao were guidance for them.

"So, do you boys have any special young ladies in your lives?" Lea asked teasingly with a devious snicker. Roxas and Axel exchanged smirks and let out a snicker as well.

"Not exactly" Axel shot the woman a lopsided grin before he took another sip. The woman just smiled, not really thinking anything of it, as she began to grow well-acquainted with the boys.

* * *

Hours flew by and the day melted away as quickly as it came as Lea shared stories with Axel about her youth, cooked some amazing food for them, and applied a proper dressing for Roxas' wounds. Axel shared a few stories as well; however, Roxas knew that Axel's were slight bent from the truth. Regardless of that fact, Roxas enjoyed listening to the two. They were both so humorous and so warm-spirited. He could've listened to them all day, and Tao clearly could've as well, since he didn't budge from his spot on the floor, except for a few times to leave to use the bathroom.

As night had fallen onto the icy mountain, Lea set up a bed of wool blankets on the floor for the boys to sleep on, before she slid open the door toward the back room.

"Sleep well boys. We'll see you in the morning. And I'll make you a nice breakfast and I can show you the best spots of the mountain! There's even a hot spring nearby that you two might like!" A warm smile spread on Lea's face as she held her arms out.

"Good night boys" Lea wished them as she hugged them each softly, kissing their shoulders as she hugged them. With that, Tao and Lea closed the door and left the two alone.

"They're really sweet" Roxas yawned softly as he laid down on the wool blankets with one arm behind his head and the other laying lazily beside him. He smiled softly up at Axel as he felt the familiar warmth re-entering his chest, and his stomach fluttering wildly. Axel's pearly grin stood out in the poorly lit room as he laid on his side beside Roxas with his head propped up in his palm.

"Yeah, they're awesome. I can't wait until tomorrow. I wanna talk with them more" Axel grinned before he laid flat on his back beside Roxas and pulled one of the wool blankets over them.

A lulling silence stood for a few moments before Roxas asked. "You think we're gonna be like them when we get older, Ax?" Roxas asked as he looked at the red-head beside him, his oceanic eyes searched for Axel's vibrant emerald ones. Axel gazed back down at him and grinned softly.

"Probably. We don't need to know what we're doing. We'll figure it out, Rox" Roxas's smiled hard, which quickly was wearing out his cheeks. He leaned up and planted a soft kiss on Axel's lips, before he nuzzled Axel's jaw and rested his head on his shoulder. Roxas draped an arm over Axel's stomach, and welcomed Axel's arm that wrapped underneath him.

"Yeah" Roxas hummed before his eyes slowly fluttered shut and he drifted into a comfortable slumber.

* * *

You've reached the end of chapter 5. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far! Some fun stuff should be coming really soon, so keep your eyes peeled everyone!


	6. Beyond the Veil of Joy

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts isn't mine. However, this apple I'm eating is.

**Warning:** Limey scene here.

Welcome to chapter 6! I had a bit of an inspirational slump this week, but it's all good, I still got it done! I hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

Several days passed without any signs of unrest. Within peace, Roxas found an eerie discomfort. While his life was no longer filled with chaos, he felt like some was still necessary. Without any chaos, Roxas knew it would all hit at once. Things were never perfect, and it was with that knowledge that Roxas realized his situation wasn't perfect. Rest didn't mean perfection; instead, it meant a calm period before a storm. The truly troubling thought that shrouded Roxas's mind was not if a storm was approaching, but what damages would be incurred from it.

However, that didn't mean Roxas would avoid enjoyment. After a few wonderful days of chatting with Lea and Tao, who so graciously took them in, Roxas and Axel decided to take a day to themselves. Lea lead them to the gorgeous hot springs of the mountain the day before, so they thought they'd relax with each other.

Roxas's lips curved into a smile as they arrived at the spring. The large pool of water radiated welcoming steam that lured Roxas away from the cool mountain air. Opaque stone crags towered at two sides of the springs, which provided privacy and shielded them from the chilling gusts.

"Looks great" Roxas hummed as he walked toward the edge of the water with Axel.

"Can't wait. Felt like we haven't had a good bath in days anyways" Axel hummed, which Roxas agreed. Giving themselves sponge baths wasn't quite as gratifying as soaking in a nice bath. Once the two stripped off all their clothing, they both slipped into the warm waters and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Ahhh. . ." Axel hummed pleasantly as he sat at the edge of the pool with his arms stretching out along the cold stone behind him. Axel loved the contrast of the hot spa and the cool air. Meanwhile, Roxas simply snuggled up next to him and rested his head on Axel's shoulder.

The two felt their muscles quickly grow relaxed from the warm waters. The springs melted Roxas' anxiety from the swelling ball within his chest; however, instead of melting them away, they melted outward. Roxas noticed that whenever he grew relaxed, he began to reveal any insecurities he held to Axel.

"Hey Axel, do you think this peace will last forever?" Roxas hummed softly as he inhaled deeply. Roxas greatly enjoyed the scent of Axel's skin. It was so natural, so intimate.

"Huh?" Axel asked before he let out a labored yawn and rested his cheek against Roxas's soft locks. "What do you mean, Rox?"

"Do you think the Organization will find us here?"

"Nah. We're up in the middle of nowhere. They won't find us" The optimistic red-head hummed, which wiped away the concern in Roxas's mind. Axel was right: they were in a secluded mountain range. What were the chances of the Organization finding them? Especially any time soon.

Roxas was pulled from his self-assuring thoughts he felt a hand run up and down his inner thigh, which made him smile widely as he chuckled, squirmed, and place a hand over Axel's. Roxas felt a rush of heat collect in his groin as his member began to slowly grow erect.

"What are you doing?" Roxas chuckled as he grinned up at Axel. Axel returned Roxas' grin before he spoke.

"Experimenting" Axel chuckled playfully with a lopsided pearly grin. His hand traveled up to Roxas' groin and trailed along the hardened member. Roxas's breathing grew deeper as a hand rested atop Axel's shoulder while the other trailed up Axel's leg.

Except for deep breaths and the occasion shudder, there were no words between them. They simply explored each other's bodies: their hands trailed along each other's members, hips, and legs, which only fed their arousal.

However, the moment Roxas' hand wrapped around Axel's erect member, Roxas felt Axel's hand latch onto his wrist and stop him. Roxas looked up at Axel puzzled and asked, "Huh?"

"Wait" Axel hummed, and Roxas released the hard member. "There's something that couples do that I wanna try"

"What is it?" Roxas asked with perked interest.

"Well, when I was in traverse town I saw one guy sticking his dick in another guy's ass. I kinda wanna try that" Axel suggested. Roxas paused for a moment, then nodded and grinned at Axel.

"Sure, let's try it" Roxas agreed, eager and interested. With his aroused state, Roxas found himself a little more bold and daring. He swung a leg over Axel's lap and stood on his knees over Axel and smiled softly down at him. Axel smiled appreciatively as he ran his fingers along the faint definition on Roxas' stomach, before he placed a hand on Roxas' hip while his other grasped his own hardened member.

"Ready?" Axel asked, and with that, Roxas slowly lowered himself. At first, he felt the member press against the region between his member and his hole. He chuckled softly before he repositioned himself. Once he felt the head press against his hole, Roxas slowly lowered himself. However, to his surprise, there was no pleasure or interest. There was only a searing pain that shot up his back from his hole. By the time the head was in, Roxas quickly pulled up.

Roxas winced as he leaned forward and panted heavily as he clutched onto Axel's shoulders. "Fuck that hurt!"

"Why? Those guys did it fine" Axel couldn't help but chuckle softly at Roxas's pain.

"He must've had a very loose ass then, because you're too big to fit in there" Roxas's whimpered. However, his complaint did inspire Axel to try something that might help. Roxas felt a hand slip underneath his groin. Then, he felt a finger push into his entrance. Roxas grew a little tense, expecting the same pain; however, it wasn't nearly as bad. It was uncomfortable, but it didn't really hurt.

When Axel accidently bent his finger, a sudden soft gasp escaped the spiky-haired blond as an odd pleasure came. Axel looked at Roxas for a moment, confused, before he began to slowly and continuously bend his finger in a beckoning motion, which began to draw pants and moans from the blond as a very sensitive spot was being pressed.

Axel soon added a second finger, and before long, a third. Roxas was so caught-up in the odd sensation that he didn't realize that three fingers were inside him. He did notice the discomfort had grown a little stronger, but that was it.

"Want to try again? Looks like you're stretched out enough" Axel asked with a grin. Roxas paused for a moment as he panted heavily. Roxas was trying to re-focus on the situation, and after a couple moments he hesitantly agreed, and the fingers withdrew from him. Roxas took a deep breath before he lowered himself onto the hardened member once again, and winced as he felt Axel begin to penetrate him. It didn't hurt nearly as bad; however, the discomfort was still there.

Once Axel was completely inside him, Axel began to immediately try and thrust in and out of him, but Roxas placed his hands on Axel's thighs and pushed down as he kept his hips firmly down.

"Wait. . . " Roxas winced. Axel paused for a moment, confused, before he caught on. He rested his forearms on Roxas's thighs as he watched his lover in pain and discomfort.

Roxas wasn't sure how long Axel was inside him. It must've been at least five minutes, before he began to feel guilty, and felt bad for making Axel wait. Axel seemed so eager, and he was stalling the entire situation. So Roxas choked it up as he nodded. "'Kay, I'm ready, Ax"

"You sure?" Axel asked quickly with a furrowed brow as his gorgeous deep emerald eyes pierced his oceanic-blue ones. Roxas nodded once again.

"Yeah" Roxas assured him with a soft smile before he rested his chin on Axel's shoulder and wrapped his arms around his neck. Roxas began to feel Axel slowly slide in and out of him, which provided an odd mix of pleasure and discomfort for him. That delicious sensitive spot made him want more, while the discomfort made him want to stop Axel. However, his breathing only showed that he was more consumed with the discomfort. His breathing was quick, and he let out rhythmic gasps and pants as Axel penetrated him.

Despite all of the discomfort, Roxas felt himself connecting Axel in more ways than one. He felt a warm flutter in his chest send tingles throughout his body. Axel wrapped a hand around his member and began to pump his hand up and down Roxas' member in unison with Axel's thrusts, which added another heat to radiate throughout his body.

Roxas slowly became consumed in the sensations. His mind was being overwhelmed and he lost himself, no longer sure if he was in discomfort, moaning, or whimpering. He didn't care; he just cared about one thing: the way Axel was making him feel. Roxas did however notice that he began to move his hips slightly to compliment Axel's movements, which must've accounted for something.

"Roxas" Axel moaned out his name as a burning heat began to collect in Roxas' groin and chest as Axel continued to enter him. The more the heat that he collected, the more Roxas craved it. Roxas craved more of Axel, and before long, he'd gotten more heat than he could handle. Roxas felt an overwhelming pleasure sweep over him as his body clenched, and he released into the warm spring waters. However, as he released, he felt a warm liquid fill him as Axel shuddered against him. The clenching must've sent Axel over the edge as well.

Roxas rose his hips and felt Axel slide out of him, then sat back down onto Axel's lap and rested his head on Axel's shoulder. Roxas had a wide grin on his face as he rested in Axel's arms, and once again basked in the amazing sensation he felt back in the cave on the Destiny Islands. However, this time it was stronger.

"That was amazing" Axel panted as he rested his cheek against Roxas's forehead.

Roxas paused for a second as he tried to catch his breath once again. He had tried to talk, but speaking between deep pants wasn't easy. "Ax. I think I love you"

Roxas wasn't sure if what he felt was love or not, but it sure seemed like it. What else would it be? People never acted that way around someone unless they loved them. When Roxas heard Axel mutter, "I love you too, Rox" A wide smile burned on his face as he snuggled closer to his lover and hugged him a bit tighter.

* * *

After a couple hours of soaking and turning into prunes, Axel and Roxas exited the hot springs, dried themselves off, and clothed themselves. However, Roxas required some assistance with getting his pants on. While he did adjust to the feeling of Axel's member inside him, it did leave him quite sore.

Roxas made his way back toward Lea and Tao's house with Axel's arm wrapped around his waist to support him, wincing every once in a while. Roxas was hoping that it wouldn't always leave him sore like that. If so, he wouldn't have been able to experience it as often as he'd like.

Roxas pushed the thought to the back of his mind as they made their way back toward the house. One thing Roxas loved about the walk between the hot springs and the house was the view. From the cliff top, Roxas was able to gaze at the misty valley that grew ever darker and the setting sun began to make its final rest behind the mountains. The valley held a mysterious and mystifying sense that lured Roxas. What kinds of things resided in the shrouded areas of the valley?

It wasn't long before the two arrived back at the house. Axel's arm remained around Roxas' waist to help him in.

"Hey Lea" Axel greeted cheerfully. However, it didn't take long for the two to notice the concern and stress present on Lea's face.

"Lea, you okay?" Axel asked as he helped Roxas sit on the floor by the table, smirking as Roxas winced.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just worrying too much about nothing" Lea hummed simply as she waved her hand absent-mindedly.

"Well what is it that you're worrying about?" Axel asked as he took a seat beside Roxas and rested a hand on Roxas' knee.

"Tao went to the city yesterday, but isn't back yet. He should've been back a couple hours ago, and night is already here. I'm worried that something might've happened to him. But I'm sure he'll be here any minute" Lea attempted a light-hearted muse, but somewhat failed at it.

"Tao isn't back yet?" Axel asked, confused. Roxas felt that shroud of anxiety fall over him once again. The storm was approaching.

* * *

Thank you for reading chapter 6, I hope you all enjoyed it! I decided to humanize the limey scene because I feel most fanfics have too much of a romanticized idea of it. I made it a little romanticized, just because I don't think it would be as fun to read without the slight optimistic twist; however, I hope this kinda portrays that one's first time isn't all butterfingers and pleasure.


	7. The Shrapnel of Death

**Disclaimer:** Nope, Kingdom Hearts isn't mine.

Welcome to chapter 7 everyone! This chapter was kinda fun to write, so I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

"Tao isn't back yet?" Axel asked with a blend of confusion and concern. Although Lea claimed not to be troubled, Roxas knew that it was a façade, and Axel suspected it as well. They'd been married and living in the mountains for years. If Tao was often late, she wouldn't have seemed so worried. However, with Roxas incapacitated, they didn't have many options.

"I'm sure he'll be back by the morning" Lea added with a forced smile as she waved her hand casually in the air. "Let's just get some rest for now. We'll talk more in the morning boys"

"Night Lea. Sweet dreams" Axel hummed sympathetically as he rose from the floor and offered the old woman a hug.

"Night" Roxas sheepishly muttered as he smiled fondly at her, and then watched as she departed the room. Axel gathered the blankets from the corner of the room and began to set up their 'nest' as Axel had fondly dubbed it. Roxas attempted to help; however, he was too sore to rise. Luckily, Axel was very understanding and insisted that Roxas rested. Axel was even so gracious as to pull Roxas playfully toward him once it was ready.

Roxas smiled fondly as he filled the groove of Axel's body perfectly. He snuggled happily in Axel's embrace as he spoke.

"What do we do if Tao isn't back tomorrow?" Roxas asked softly before he let out a soft yawn. Roxas felt faintly anxious; however, much of that had melted away once he was in Axel's embrace.

"I think we should go look for him. But only if you're feeling okay" Axel suggested as he gently rubbed Roxas's stomach. Axel's deep, low hum was a soothing melody that relaxed him.

"'Kay" Roxas muttered as his eyelids grew heavy. "Night Ax. Love you"

"Night Rox. Love you too" Just like earlier, the exchange of verbal fondness felt like drinking a glass of water. It was refreshing and comforting.

Roxas wasn't exactly sure how long it had been before he found sleep. With an odd mixture of comfort with a light, lingering discomfort, Roxas hovered just away from deep sleep for a while. He didn't know if it was five minutes, ten minutes, half an hour, or longer, but he found one of the most comfortable sleeps he'd ever had. Roxas felt like he'd only ever slept, but never rested.

* * *

The morning had come, but Tao had not. The lingering concern had begun to take its toll upon Lea, whose initial signs of anxiety had become more discernible. The air was thick with tension in the house, and Roxas couldn't help but feel bad for Lea. The concern that was carved on her face, despite her attempts to mask it, was a sad sight.

"You okay Lea" Axel asked sympathetically as she began to prepare the morning tea.

"It's okay. I'm fine" Lea hummed absent-mindedly as she fiddled with the porcelain teapot.

A soft sigh escaped Axel before he asked, "Do you want us to do anything?"

"No, it's fine. Let's just have some tea" Lea added a bit more pleasantly as she began to fill three cups.

The room was filled with an awkward silence as Roxas and Axel shot each other glances. Roxas felt a wearying tightness in his chest as his gaze fell. Roxas grabbed his cup and took a quick sip of his tea.

"What if we go search for him?" Roxas offered meekly.

"No, no, it's fine boys, please" Lea insisted sweetly after a short pause.

"It's the least we could do. You let us stay here, we might as well help ya" Axel offered casually before he took a sip from his tea. "It's not a problem. We walked up here, so we'll be fine" Axel reminded with a cheery grin. Lea was silent for a moment.

"Alright, fine. But be careful, okay boys? It's starting to snow"

"Will do" Axel grinned widely as he rose to his feet. He offered Roxas a hand, and helped him up. Roxas didn't really need the help, since much of his soreness had vanished; however, he still found the gesture cute. Lea rose as well and walked into her room for a moment before she emerged with two fur garments in her hands.

"Tao only had one coat, but I have a couple spare shawls. Wear these so you won't be so cold" Lea insisted as she handed them both the two fur garments. The two accepted them and observed them awkwardly. They didn't know how to put them on. There were no sleeves or wholes for their arms. Lea chuckled softly before she took it from Roxas's hands, and then slipped his head through the hole.

"You let it drape over your shoulders like that" Lea instructed with a soft, humored grin. Roxas was thankful of his ignorance: it gave Lea a smile. Roxas smiled softly and nodded, and then watched Axel slip the simple fur garment on.

"Thanks. We'll be back soon" Axel said their farewell as the two waved at the elderly woman, and then strode out of the humble abode.

As they strolled out of the home and began to descend down the snaking slope, Roxas slid his hand into Axel's.

"How are we gonna find him?" Roxas asked curiously as he gazed up at his fiery-haired lover.

"Well he's probably on the mountain somewhere, just tired or injured. We'll probably find 'em on the way down" Axel hummed confidently as he smiled down at Roxas. Roxas saw the accuracy in Axel's logic. Where else could he have been?

As Roxas traveled along the sloping path that lead down the mountain, Roxas's gaze was once again drawn to the mysterious misty valley that sat snuggly between two of the mountains. Its mystifying presence couldn't help but prod at Roxas's curiosity. Roxas couldn't' help but question if there was a river there, or land. If there were heartless there, or if there were some other entity.

Nonetheless, none of his thoughts mattered. There was only one thing they needed to find: Tao. The couple had found him too; however, they found him under different circumstances.

Although the elderly man's voice caught their attention around the corner of a crag that stretched menacingly over the edge of the mountain, there were other voices as well.

"I'm not taking you, so you might as well just kill me" Tao's voice was tired and weak.

"You're taking us old man" A dull, flat voice nonchalantly hummed, which was followed by a nervous whimper from Tao. That dull voice was one that Roxas and Axel were all-too-acquainted with. It was Marluxia.

"Leave it to me, Marluxia. You've had your fun already" A childish female voice mused teasingly, and was followed by a soft giggle. A giggle that Roxas always found unusually annoying.

"Listen up old man. I don't know why you feel the need to protect them. They're bad guys. They've killed countless people. Haven't you wondered why Mulan went missing?" Larxene challenged. Roxas suddenly felt his stomach churn. He felt as though all of the previously heinous acts he'd committed were beginning to come back to haunt him.

"Roxas was the one who kidnapped her. Did you know that? So I don't know why you feel like protecting him. He's a villain!" Larxene finished. Roxas squeezed Axel's hands a little tighter as they listened from behind the crag. He wanted to run out and save Tao, but as Axel pulled Roxas a little closer, Roxas knew it wasn't the time.

There was an agonizingly long silence that teased Roxas's thinned patience to no end. Why didn't Tao say anything? Why didn't Marluxia or Larxene say anything? The silence began to slowly tear away at Roxas's patience as his mind and heart raced. His body was tense as he grit his teeth, and prepared to walk out toward them once again. Luckily, Tao had broken the silence, and lessened Roxas's anxiety.

"The only villains I see are the ones who won't let me go and have threatened me with a scythe and daggers. You won't get my help, so you might as well kill me"

An annoying giggle escaped the childish female once again. "Marly"

"We can do that" The plain voice muttered, before a gasp came from Tao. Immediately, Axel bolted out from around the corner and pulled Roxas with him. Now was the time to reveal themselves.

"Stop!" The sudden outburst drew the attention from the two, before devious smirks slid onto the pair of faces.

"Ah, how nice of you two to join us" Larxene purred as she brushed a few of her golden locks away from her sky-blue eyes, before she playfully winked at Axel. "How're you doing Axel? Looking forward to coming back to the castle with us?"

"We aren't comin' back. You might as well leave before you get hurt" Axel hummed in a casual, yet confident tone as he released Roxas's hand. As usual, a glimmer of crimson lights flickered in his hands before his chakrams were summoned. Faint flames trailed along the bladed wheels before they dissipated at the tips of the blades.

"I think you're gonna be the one to get hurt" Larxene hummed as a dagger appeared in her hand in a yellow flash. She smirked deviously before she flicked her dagger to the side. The dagger penetrated Tao's neck, and the old man gasped for air as he squirmed on the ground.

Shocked and horrified looks flared up on Axel and Roxas' faces as they watched as the elder quickly turned red and squirm on the floor quickly, before he gradually moved slower and slower. It wasn't long before he came to a sudden stop. Larxene only let out her vexatious giggle and Marluxia simply smirked as they two watched in horror, before heinous glares and scowls appeared on their faces.

A pool of anger began to quickly culminate within Roxas and bubble furiously. He couldn't understand how they could be so cruel as to kill an innocent old man. The fury made Roxas's entire body grow tense. Roxas summoned his keyblades in a white flash before he swung the hilt of his blade against the side of the mountain to alleviate a little bit of the anger. It did little to help him.

"Aww, are you two angry? Would it help to say we were sorry?" Larxene teased childishly as several daggers appeared in a flash of topaz between her fingers.

"Shut up!" Roxas growled as he gripped his keyblade tightly.

"We're gonna fucking kill you! You fucking bastards!" Axel barked with great fury between deep breaths as his chakrams began to blaze in a burning inferno. The two then bolted along the icy mountain path toward the Organization members. Axel made the first move by flinging a chakram straight toward Larxene, who dodged the blow. Meanwhile, Roxas charged at Marluxia, who stood there confidently. Roxas leaped passed Larxene toward him and swung his keyblade ferociously toward the effeminate male's head.

However, Marluxia didn't need to dodge as much as Larxene did. With one powerful sweep of his scythe, Roxas was propelled ten feet back, and then slid backwards along the icy slope. However, the moment his feet touched the frozen trail, Roxas had fallen forward and slid backwards. He stopped just as his feet began to dangle over the edge.

The position hadn't fazed Roxas at all. A deep fury burned inside Roxas with tempestuous force. A force that demanded revenge. Roxas charged at Marluxia once again, and zipped between the flurry of chakrams and daggers Axel and Larxene were exchanging. However, this time he remained on the ground. He swung his blades wildly at Marluxia when he was in range, only to have them blocked. As Roxas persisted with his onslaught, he found the fury building up even more as he failed to land a blow on Marluxia. He was constantly being denied the vengeance that was called for.

Roxas's body was tense, and his mind had become tunneled. He only saw one thing: Marluxia. He hadn't even paid attention to the fighting that occurred between Axel and Larxene behind him.

That was, until a high-pitched girlish whimper broke his tunneled mentality. He quickly gazed back to see a fiery chakram return to Axel's hand after likely hitting the golden-haired woman's side. She clutched her side in pain as she panted heavily. Axel had definitely won.

However, Roxas hadn't. The moment he turned around, he saw a scythe being swung dangerously at his neck. Roxas quickly ducked beneath the blow, before he swung his keyblade viciously toward Marluxia's side and trailed it up to his left shoulder. Roxas followed through with a horizontal slash that crossed Marluxia's chest.

Marluxia grunted as he jumped back and panted.

"You idiot, that could've been my face" Marluxia scoffed indifferently before he flipped his head back a little to move a few stray locks from his face. A shadowy portal began to swirl menacingly behind him.

"This isn't over!" Larxene whined as a shadowy portal began to form at her side over the ledge. She leaped through the portal as Marluxia stepped back into his.

Once Roxas and Axel's weapons vanished, Roxas quickly ran over to Tao's body and knelt down beside him. Roxas placed his index and middle fingers along the side of Tao's neck in the desperation that there might still have been a pulse, but there wasn't. Tao was dead.

Roxas quickly yanked his fingers away from Tao and clutched his hand. The pool of anger that had welled up in him had immediately been translated into a pool of surprise, fear, and sadness. Although Roxas had killed many before, he'd never experienced it. He'd never known the feeling of losing someone close to him. And once Axel knelt down beside him, Roxas began to tremble.

"You okay Rox?" Axel asked softly as he placed a hand on Roxas's opposite shoulder. Roxas's breathing came out in quick trembles as he gazed up at Axel with glazed, oceanic eyes and a quivering frown. Roxas let out a shaky whimper before he hugged Axel tightly and buried his face into Axel's chest.

Roxas sobbed for a good fifteen minutes, before the couple had the composure to carry Tao's body back up the mountain. The trip was silent and grim, and Axel carried him most of the way. Roxas carried him occasionally for short periods of time to give Axel a break; however, the trip back wasn't what Roxas was worried about. It was telling Lea.

As they arrived at the home and entered, Roxas opened the door and held it open. Lea was initially happy to see someone.

"Hey guys, you're back! Did you find him?" Lea asked curiously; however, as Axel stepped in with Tao's pale, lifeless body, Lea's eyes were immediately glazed over as she rushed over to him.

"Tao. . ." Lea whispered as Axel laid him down on the ground. An overwhelming frown overtook her face as her eyebrows puckered. "Tao!" Lea wailed as she began to tremble and sob at the sight of her fallen love.

Roxas gazed up at Axel with burdened eyes, before he hugged him gently and rested his head on Axel's shoulder. It amazed Roxas by how quickly life could be taken away, and how quickly love could be lost. Roxas couldn't imagine losing Axel. Roxas would sooner kill himself than live without Axel. He couldn't bear to experience what Lea had to.

'I love you' Roxas thought as he hugged Axel a little tighter. He didn't want to let go of Axel. He appreciated being in Axel's arms now more than ever.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Leave a review and let me know what you all think of the story thus far! Thanks!


	8. Together We Stand, Together We Fall

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts isn't mine.

Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait since my last update: I've been busy with classes and such. Fortunately, I finally got around to getting some writing done! I figured I'd write up a finale to this to go along with some news: I'm starting to write a new story! Not sure how long it'll end up being, but be sure to keep an eye out for it! It probably won't be as emotionally tense as this one. I've decided to have a more light-hearted fanfic with more light drama to help balance things out. I should have the first chapter up in the next week or so. Also, I'll be starting to write up some _yummy_ one-shots as well to keep you guys occupied whenever I have these long periods between updates. ;)

Anyways, onto the final chapter!

* * *

A hulking weight hung upon their hearts as the pair had awoken. Roxas was curled against the warm body beneath him, and although he felt safe, Axel's warmth couldn't protect him from the piercing guilt that burrowed deeper and deeper into his chest. Light had been shed upon the valley, and upon the situation. Things were getting out of hand. Their flight cost them a friend, and Roxas wasn't sure if he could live with such emotions haunting them at every turn. Such a life was one that he could not endure: a life of making friends and losing them wasn't one he was willing to accept.

As far as Roxas was concerned, they had two options: they could run, and avoid the Organization and any close bonds with outsiders, or they could fight. Roxas knew what they could've done; however, he also knew what they were going to do. The one thing they were best at. The skill that secured their place in Organization XIII: fighting.

As the valley chilling winds whispered melancholically, the two rose and greeted Lea.

"Morning boys" Lea spoke with a lonely acceptance, and warm hope. The sadness hung onto the swollen bags under her eyes; however, her eyes still held promise for tomorrow. Or perhaps they hinted an acceptance to an invitation to move on. Not only from Tao's death, but to move onto her own. She may have lost her husband, but her heartache would allow her to find her paradise beside him.

"Morning. . ." Roxas mumbled softly as his oceanic gaze was focused toward her feet.

"Hey. . . how'd you sleep?" Axel asked softly, his gazed focused at her nose.

"I slept fine. Would you boys like some tea?" Lea offered softly with a soft smile as she took a few steps toward them. The confliction of their emotions was uneasy, and poured into the room. The aura was so thick, that Lea was able to feel it even through her own pain.

"No, we're fine. We need to go. . ." Axel muttered softly as his emerald eyes fluttered up to greet Lea's. His vibrant orbs were reminiscent of a puppy's who didn't want to leave; however, he needed to.

"Will I see you two again?" Lea asked softly after a long pause as she took another step toward them, and gazed up at the two with a soft frown.

Roxas's oceanic eyes finally met Lea's. They shimmered with the glaze of his remorse as he smiled softly, and his face scrunched morosely as he muttered, "Probably not. . ."

A tear rolled down Roxas' fair cheek as Axel's eyes had shimmered from his pain as well. The old woman smiled softly up at the two, before she pulled them both into a soft hug, and kissed each of their shoulders.

"I understand. . ." Lea muttered softly. "Thank you so much for being with us boys. I know we haven't known each other for long, but you two are like sons to me. Whether we ever see each other again or not, I hope you two will be happy"

The old woman pulled away with a moist trail on her cheeks. The two trembled softly as they wiped their eyes and cheeks, before they muttered their goodbyes and departed.

* * *

The two didn't need to speak about what needed to be done: they knew what each other was thinking. They held each other's hand as they both gazed down into the misty valley that had drawn so much of their attention in the past.

The two leaped off the cliff, and trailed along the edge. The rush of cool air against his face reminded him of his fight with Riku. The rush of adrenaline made his heart pound, and his body had grown warm as they descended beneath the blanket of mist, before they each landed with a heavy thud, and gazed around. Trees, bushes, and other vegetation were hidden amongst the thick veil of condensation, and it made for an appropriate stand against the Organization.

Suddenly, the thick thuds in his chest felt like twists as he grew anxious. The consequence of their decision was beginning to settle in, and he held second doubts. He hadn't considered what would happen if they were defeated. What would death for a nobody be like? He squeezed Axel's hand softly for comfort as he heaved a heavy sigh.

Axel turned and cupped Roxas' face within his large, warm palms as he gazed affectionately down into Roxas's azure eyes.

"It's okay, Rox. I'll die before I let anything happen to you" Axel muttered with a soft smile before he pulled the male into a passionate, warm kiss. "I love you" Roxas trembled against the taller male as he cried and buried his face inside his chest.

"I love you too, Ax. If you die, we die together. . ." Roxas muttered amongst heavy sobs against Axel's shirt as he embraced his lover. His heart thud violently in his chest as his stomach churned with anxiety. Despite his fear, he felt blessed. Most people frequently complained about never finding love; however, he had been fortunate enough to find it in his short life. He reaped benefits that many people hadn't, let alone nobodies. Once he'd regained his composure, he smiled softly up at Axel, before he released his hand, and the two summoned their weapons.

They summoned a portal before them, and waited for Organization to come. It was their invitation and their challenge.

Eleven cloaked figures arrived from the portal in single file, and slowly formed a circle around the pair. As the final member stepped out of the shadowy portal, it closed, and one of the members lowered their hoods.

"I thought you two would've returned and tried to negotiate for your life" Xemnas muttered as his crimson gaze was locked onto their weapons. He smirked softly, before he added, "But I see you two are looking to commit suicide instead"

However, his mocking hadn't gotten to them. The two remained silent as they clutched their weapon.

"Fine. Take them out" He ordered as lights fluttered before each of the members, and their weapons had appeared in their hands.

"Told ya this wasn't over" Larxene purred teasingly as she charged toward the two.

"Shouldn't'a gone against us, traitors!" Demyx called out, before the other nine members had charged in as well.

The Organization struck as swiftly and mercilessly as they had expected. They were swift, and although the pair had managed to dodge a couple attacks, they were slammed by others, which caused them to be knocked aside, stagger, and simply cry out in pain. The movements were blurs and hazes amongst the mist, and there was little either of them could do to truly protect themselves or fight back. Roxas's heart beat furiously as he gazed around in confusion. He could barely make out any sounds amongst the rapid clashing of metal, and his persistent anxiety. There was just too much. Finally, Saix had slammed his large sword into his side, and flung him toward Axel, which sent both of them flying into a tree. The pair knew it was over.

Roxas winced as he struggled to push himself up onto his feet; however, the pain that had radiated throughout his entire body denied him that privilege. Instead, he simply gazed up in horror as Marluxia stood before them, and clutched his scythe menacingly.

Roxas's eyes widened, and his heart practically stopped as he watched the unforgiving blade swing toward his chest. He closed his eyes and the scythe made contact; however, not with him. He opened his eyes hesitantly to see Axel beside him. The fiery-haired male was facing him as the scythe poked through his chest. Roxas's vision blurred immediately as his body violently trembled.

"A-Ax. . ." He choked out a sob as he gazed at the figure in horror, frozen. He couldn't move. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Unfortunately, his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, and as Marluxia withdrew the blade from Axel's body, a glimmering light fluttered out of his chest, and faded into the air as his body collapsed onto his lap. Roxas shook violently, as his heart felt like it had imploded within his chest. His body was hot, and he felt like someone had stabbed a knife into his chest. He clutched Axel's lifeless body as he buried his face into Axel's shoulder.

Roxas let out a wail of pain as he sobbed against Axel's shirt. However, with his life taken, Axel's body faded from his arms, and vanished. Roxas sobbed harder as he hunched over and trembled against the cold, damp dirt beneath him.

"Did Axel have a heart?" Larxene asked, puzzled.

"I don't know" Marluxia hummed simply as he shifted his weight onto one leg as he watched Roxas shiver on the ground. He looked like he couldn't breathe: why did he even care? It wasn't like he could feel anything anyways.

"It doesn't matter" Xemnas muttered as a red blade appeared beside him. "Let's finish this. We have work to do"

Finally, the crimson blade was sent flying toward him, piercing Roxas's back, and poking out through the front of his chest. Roxas's eyes widened and a shimmering light emerged from his body, before it slowly dissipated into the air. Roxas's body went limp and soon disappeared as well.

Their deaths left uncertainties amongst the Organization. Did they have hearts? How did they acquire them? Confliction had occurred, even amongst the most callous of all: Xemnas. However, they went onto their duties as usual, and each left through a portal back toward the World that Never was. They didn't care. They couldn't afford to care. Their hunt for a heart was their main concern; unfortunately, their hearts were what had lead Axel and Roxas to their demise. The Organization couldn't help but wonder if it was something they really wanted.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed the final chapter! Leave a review, and let me know what you all thought of it. Hope to see you all soon, and hope you all enjoy my future fanfics as well!


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